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The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes

Organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests

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A fight for education, women's rights, and freedom. Malala, a young girl from Pakistan, never gave up. Despite her village being taken over by terrorists and being shot in the head, she never stopped fighting. And it wasn't just for herself, it was for girls. It was for her community. Malala is strong. Malala is empowering. Malala is a fighter. Malala doesn't give up. Malala is a feminist.

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“If the cure for cancer was in the mind of a girl, we might never discover it."

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"If the cure for cancer was in the mind of a girl, we might never discover it."
Myra Sadker - an educator who wrote widely on sexual bias in schools

In the presence of today's technologically developed era, we are embarrassed to accept that there are still problems left such as gender inequality and sexual bias. Although it differs by sizes and integration from nation to nation, those are ongoing issues everywhere on Earth (except the Amazonian forests). One of the underlying reasons for this is that females are not accepted as an "important" figure in "serious deals". Many males accept females as a species created for reproduction and cleanup, while they are "doing serious work". The problem is, this mentality is intuitively passed through generations, injected into little boys and even girls. The ongoing status quo, which can also be considered as the comfort zone of the majority, is that females are for art and reproduction. However, this must be shaken apart. Increasing the number of women in STEM fields is crucial to gender equality in all workplaces and our everyday life.

The number of successful girls in STEM is a good indicator of sexual bias. Starting from the early childhood of their kids, parents and other relatives are unconsciously signaling children that their future careers depend on their gender and not on their abilities, skills, and likes. Although people like to use statistics to try to prove that girls are not good at math because they are often behind in the mathematics and science courses, the reality is that girls are not raised the way boys are, and this leads girls to subconsciously believe that STEM fields are for boys. They even doubt their own capabilities to be successful, and this continues through adolescence and into adulthood (Valoy, 2014). Where we have failed, is that children's toys are greatly gendered: girls' toys are mimicking household duties such as washing, cleaning, and child rearing - or completely imaginary careers such as princesses. On the other hand, boys' toys often represent future careers and fuel their imagination and creativity: science kits, telescopes, building blocks, vehicles, and so on. The thing is, most studies show that there is no difference between math and science abilities in children. The real reason is performance bias. If a girl believes she is not supposed to be good at math, she will not perform as well as she could and the vice versa. The way people speak to their children and the encouragement that they receive is essential for their future success (Crowell, 2017).

Another essential condition is that we shouldn't have "male-dominated" and "female-dominated" fields, as both males and females must be everywhere to make their needs and voices heard. STEM fields are perceived as male, regardless of how much statistics would try to prove the opposite. Even fields in which women earn more than half of degrees awarded, such as chemistry and math, are considered "male-dominated." Moreover, women who happen to succeed and are competent in their fields pay the price for their success by being disliked and painted as "unladylike" - whatever that means - and shrill (Valoy, 2014). But the reality is that women are a valuable strength to the STEM industry. The presence of females in the workplaces is not only an advantage but also a requirement. The more diverse the people working on a project, the more chances are that the outcome will cover all the possible scenarios on the first run (Valoy, 2014). Moreover, there are many shaming examples where men design even products that are almost exclusively used by women. If women are not involved in the creation of these products, desires and needs unique to them can be overlooked. Two popular examples are the early voice-recognition systems and the first automobile airbags. The voice-recognition systems were calibrated only for male voices so that when women tried to use those, they didn't work properly. Women were literally not heard. Similarly, the first automobile airbags were designed by a group of male scientists, who ignored to adapt their design for the bodies of women and children, which are usually smaller. This yielded a number of avoidable deaths to individuals who were merely never taken into consideration (Corbett, 2010). Consequently, the products are being created with only a part of the population in mind, then not only are we ignoring an entire demographic, but we're also creating products that might not be helpful or safe for certain people.

Finally, in many countries women are directly dependent on males because of their low or even zero salary. This is because usually "female-dominated" jobs pay less because of their low mental requirements. Even in STEM fields, women are still paid less than males. Yet, women in STEM earn 33% more than women in other sectors of the workforce, and that's significant (Valoy, 2014). Starting salaries are much higher for STEM fields. A mechanical engineer with a Bachelor's degree earns more than $59,000 in an entry-level position, according to a study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (Hill, 2010). By encouraging women's engagement in STEM fields, we can guarantee more women with high paying salaries and, thus, more financially independent females especially in developing countries. This will lead to the change of the mentality that women should not work in the so-called "male-dominated" fields and, gradually, the rights and the value of women will be recovered. By having successful women in these fields, we will accomplish another important step towards gender equality, which is having appropriate female role models. "When I see a woman in a position I'd like to be in, I internalize that, and my goal becomes much more tangible. What I see is an individual who also faces the unique challenges that I face, and she has succeeded, and so can I" (Valoy, 2014). We know that most of the male role models will not have to wonder if their marriage will affect their salary or if they can cope with having children, raising them, and managing all the household duties that often fall on the shoulders of women (Brattstrom, 1995). So by saying that we need role models, it is meant that we need people who overcame the same challenges that we are facing.

To conclude, my firm conviction is that we need to increase the number of women in STEM fields to strike the problem of gender inequality significantly. The steps include the following: to realize that women are not less intelligent than men and start treating boys and girls equally starting from the young age, this will result in more females in STEM fields and, thus, in more balanced workplaces, which entails more and more women with high salaries. Consequently, the character of a woman will gradually change from dependent to a financially and, thus, socially independent one, and the future generations will have more and more female role models to feel more confident and to learn from.

References

Michelle Friedman, Jo Metelerkamp, & Ros Posel. (1987). What Is Feminism? And What Kind of Feminist Am I? Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity, (1), 3-24. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4547903

Brattstrom, B. (1995). Women in Science: Do We Ignore Female Role Models? Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 76(3), 143-145. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20167940

Valoy, P. (2014, April 18). 6 Reasons Why STEM Outreach Is a Feminist Issue. Retrieved April 08, 2018, from https://everydayfeminism.com/2014/04/stem-outreach-feminist-issue/

Hill, C., Corbett, C., & Rose, A. S. (2010). Resource Review: Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Journal of Youth Development. Retrieved from https://www.aauw.org/files/2013/02/Why-So-Few-Women-in-Science-Technology-Engineering-and-Mathematics.pdf

Crowell, R. (2017, August 03). Math isn't just for boys. Science News for Students. Retrieved May 6, 2018, from https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/math-isnt-just-boys

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Feminism and Females in STEM: Challenging the Status Quo

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"If the cure for cancer was in the mind of a girl, we might never discover it." Myra Sadker - an educator who wrote widely on sexual bias in schools In the presence of today's technologically developed era, we are embarrassed to accept that there are still problems left such as gender inequality and sexual bias.

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Women who fought, despite oppression, to make a change. And then Chelsea Clinton made it a Children's book. Take about girl POWER!

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Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, will release a children's picture book on inspirational American women titled "She Persisted."

The book will share the stories of 13 historical women who relentlessly pursued their goals in the face of opposition, including Harriet Tubman, Nellie Bly, Maria Tallchief and Oprah Winfrey.

Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger, "She Persisted" will reach bookstores on May 30, and will feature a cameo that is yet to be announced.

"I wrote this book for everyone who's ever wanted to speak up but has been told to quiet down, for everyone who's ever been made to feel less than," Ms. Clinton said in a statement.

The name of the book echoes a statement made by Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, last month after Republican senators voted to formally silence Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, as she was reading a 1986 letter from Coretta Scott King criticizing Senator Jeff Sessions's civil rights record.

"She was warned," Mr. McConnell said of Ms. Warren following the confrontation, which took place on the eve of the vote to confirm Mr. Sessions as attorney general. "She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."

The episode immediately sparked uproar among women on social media who empathized with Ms. Warren, leading to the trending hashtags #LetLizSpeak and #ShePersisted.

Ms. Clinton's previous books include "It's Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!" and the more recent "Governing Global Health: Who Runs the World and Why?," written with Devi Sridhar.

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Chelsea Clinton to Publish Children's Book, 'She Persisted'

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Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, will release a children's picture book on inspirational American women titled "She Persisted." The book will share the stories of 13 historical women who relentlessly pursued their goals in the face of opposition, including Harriet Tubman, Nellie Bly, Maria Tallchief and Oprah Winfrey.

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Discovering who you are and who you want to be as a woman is not an easy task. There's family, friend, and societal pressures that can be overwhelming when you don't exactly know who you want to be and what you believe. Xiomara, the protagonist in the novel, finds her sanctuary in poems, and allows them to be a safe haven for her to explore the world and who she wants to be, without the pressures from others.

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An inside look as to what feminism looked like in the 70s, and what got the movement going.

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'the seventies': feminism makes waves - cnn

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'The Seventies': Feminism makes waves - CNN

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Here are some of the key women and events that fueled the women's liberation movement throughout the 1970s.

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Michelle Obama. Who is she to you? A woman from the South Side? A philanthropist? A mother of two successful girls? Former First Lady? Whatever you know her as, you know her. This is a woman that stands up for what she believes in, takes initiative, and does not let herself get shadowed by a man. Not even the President of the United States. She may be Mrs. Obama, but she is also Michelle. And wrote this amazing book to highlight who SHE is.

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Definition of Feminism:

There are number of definitions of feminism and a very lucid one has been offered by the author of the article published in Oxford Concise Dictionary of Politics.

"Feminism is a way of looking at the world which women occupy from the perspective of women. It has at its central focus the concept of patriarchy which can be described as a system of male authority which oppresses women through its social, political and economic institutions. Feminism is, therefore, a critique of patriarchy on the one hand and an ideology committed to women's emancipation on the other".

Feminism is, therefore, a doctrine which is concerned with emancipation of women. But broadly speaking the concept embraces other areas of women's life such as their development, role in political, social, cultural and economic affairs. It also talks about women's rights and freedom.

The social and political structure have been built up in such a manner that women are not always at par with men in various affairs of society and this has practically given birth to a male-dominated society. Feminism, therefore, wants to highlight the idea that, since women form one-half of the population, social progress (interpreted in all senses) can never be a reality without the complete and spontaneous participation of women.

Feminism vs Feminist Approach to Politics:

Readers here are confronted with two terms-feminism and feminist approach to politics. To remove this confusion the two terms need to be clarified. We have already noted that feminism is a movement whose aim is to accelerate the social role of women because without this role and its advancement all-round progress is practically an impossibility. Hence feminism is an ideology.

But this concept cannot throw sufficient light on feminist approach to politics-when it was strongly felt that without women's whole-hearted participation in all sorts of social functions neither social development nor their emancipation are possible. Naturally gender equality has become an issue of great importance. In order to ensure women's participation and realisation of their rights a change in the entire structure of society must be made effective and this can be done only through political machinery-state and its agencies.

A long-drawn movement-both academic and non-academic-can turn this concept into a reality. It is necessary to note here that in real sense feminism and feminist approach to politics are not different ideas or concepts; both are interlinked. Women are to be treated in equal terms with men-this is the basic concept. This is a demand and this has led to a movement. Both academic and non-academic ideas are associated with these two.

Rise and Development of the Concept:

Though feminism or feminist approach to politics is chiefly a product of the second half of the twentieth century its origin can be traced as far back as the ancient civilizations of China, Greece and India. In all these countries, from the history we come to know, women had special position and honour and they were found to participate in various affairs of the society.

In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad there are several conversations between Maitreyee and her husband Yajnavalkya which denote that women had freedom and opportunity to actively participate in religious, social, cultural and ethical issues and they could record their valued opinion on these matters. Both in ancient India and China women were respected, Christine de Pisan's Book of the City of Ladies was published in 1405 and this book foreshadowed many of the ideas of modern feminism.

At the fag end of the eighteenth century several people voiced this resentment against the inappropriate and unequal treatment meted out to women. It was declared that since women form one-half of population and they are moral, intelligent and rational beings they must have equal rights with men.

This concept was vigorously advocated by Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797). She published A Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1792. Wollstonecraft wrote the book in the backdrop of the French Revolution (1789). Subsequently the movement earned greater momentum.

Wollstonecraft and Feminism:

We award special treatment to Wollstonecraft's contribution to the cause of feminism. At the end of the eighteenth century it was really a courageous effort to fight for the cause of women. In the above-noted book she said, "If the abstract rights of man will bear discussion and explanations, those of women, by a parity of reasoning, will not shrink from the same test."

She also observed that if men are allowed to enjoy freedom and happiness is it not unjust and inconsistent to deprive women of the same? She charged the society with the argument that it is deliberately depriving the women of various rights and freedom and this is done in a calculated way. She asked who made man the exclusive judge. Both men and women have the gift of reason.

But the structure of society makes a discrimination. Wollstonecraft made the following suggestion: Women ought to have representatives, instead of being arbitrarily governed without having any direct share. Here we have given special importance to Wollstonecraft's view because of the fact that what she said in 1792 is still important and, at the same time, thought-provoking today. The central idea of feminism or feminist approach to politics was forcefully advocated by her. She is regarded as pioneer in this field.

In the 19th and 20th Centuries:

Feminism assumed the character of a movement in the thirties and forties of the nineteenth century. In many parts of USA women gathered at the street corner meetings and demanded equal rights and privileges with men and in the sixties this movement gathered momentum when the demand for the abolition of slavery tormented the entire political scene of USA. Conventions were held at different places of USA and in those conventions women demanded that they would be given equal rights with men.

The women's movement was particularly strong in the industrially advanced and democratic countries of the West. J. S. Mill (1806-1873) vehemently opposed the tactics to oppress the women's movement and he strongly advocated political and other rights for women. He criticised the steps taken by the House of Commons for defeating the proposal for women suffrage.

At the beginning of the twentieth century women formed associations and accelerated their movement for the realisation of their demand for suffrage. The movement first started in Britain and France and spread subsequently in other parts of Western Europe.

In some cases the movement was quite militant in nature because the sponsors and supporters of the movement not only campaigned for their cause but also resorted to attacks upon property. This particularly happened in Paris and other areas.

Though feminism was a late eighteenth century product its actual development took place in the second half of twentieth century. Particularly after the 1960 the feminist movement began to draw the attention of many serious people of both sides of Atlantic.

The American feminist and political activist Betty Friedan published. The Feminine Mystique in 1963 and immediately after the publication the book created ripples in the academic and political circles. What she emphasise was that the advanced democratic countries of the world were granting several political and other rights to women and in spite of this the central question of women was far away from any solution.

The main question was the complete emancipation of women from male domination. This question would be solved if women were granted equal rights with men; they were allowed to participate in all affairs of state and society. The arguments of Frieden were accepted by other feminist leaders.

In the seventies and eighties several other books were published in support of the movement and because of this feminism were termed as a wave. Two books were published in 1970. One was Kate Millett's Sexual Politics (1970) and Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch. The publication of these books encouraged the women community to strengthen the movement and men began to take active interest in women's movement.

Feminist Scholarship Neglected:

A large number of books and pamphlets were published during the last three decades of the twentieth century and all these have more or less agreed that so far as intelligence and scholarship are concerned women are not inferior to men and in spite of this their scholarship fails to receive proper recognition from different quarters.

One critic makes the following observation, "Historically, political science has not been receptive to feminist concerns or for that matter, to women in general. Women either are invisible as political actors or they are seen to be political actors of a peculiar-often deviant-sort".

In recent years several studies have been conducted by American and British political scientists to investigate the role of women in political science and on the basis of investigation they have arrived at the above conclusion. It has been found that generally men are actors of various political activities and research and academic works are mainly controlled by them.

This type of male domination in the academic world of political science is- not due to the absence of scholarship of women. Rather, their scholarship has been neglected. Some critics have even said that political science is defined as masculine activity. Those characteristics and activities which guide men are called political. On the other hand the activities which are generally performed by women are not categorised as political.

War, election, political manipulation management of political affairs are all subjects of men's activities. It is not generally assumed that women could successfully participate in all these affairs.

In ancient times political and diplomatic functions were under the full control of men. In fact, women were not permitted to enter into all these domains. It was believed that women are quite eligible for domestic and family matters only. Both the importance and role of women were undervalued and neglected.

This created a lot of resentment in the minds of women and mainly because of that a movement was launched in several parts of the world. If we look at the numerous works and journals on political science we shall find that women are generally neglected. For example, American Political Science Review is a front-ranking journal on political science. A study reveals that between 1949 and 1969 there were articles of 1,000 men along with the articles of only 15 women.

However, some people are of opinion that this neglect is not deliberate. Women are not fit for political activities, they take very little interest in political affairs, they are reluctant to participate in election and political affairs, they lack political knowledge, they do not take interest in forming independent opinion etc.

Feminism or feminist approach to politics has been viewed from different ideological background which has necessitated its classification into liberal, socialist and radical feminism. We shall first focus our attention on liberal feminism.

Liberal feminism means both men and women are entitled to same or equal rights, freedoms and privileges and there is no place of any artificial distinction so far as rights are concerned between men and women. Hence the first point of emphasis of liberal feminism is women like men are human beings and therefore can claim equal rights with them.

The arguments of liberal feminists stand on the basic tenets of political liberalism. Distribution of rights must not be related with distinction of sex or gender. The latter is an absolutely natural phenomenon and it has nothing to do with the distribution of rights or awarding of privileges.

The pioneer of liberal feminism is no doubt Mary Wolstonecraft. After the publication of her famous work A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792) people's attention to women's rights was attracted and many people began to think about it seriously. J. S. Mill is another important personality of women's cause and movement. The Subjection of Women was published in 1869. In the second half of the twentieth century large number of women took the cudgel of women's cause and Betty Friedan is one of them.

Central Idea of Liberal Feminism:

Central idea of liberal feminism is basically based on individualism. Every person has the right to develop his/her personality and inherent qualities and it is the primary responsibility of the authority to make way for the realisation of this. If rights are essential for men why are the same not essential for women? Naturally women can legitimately claim equal rights with men.

To deprive women of rights in an arbitrary- manner is absolutely unjustified and this cannot be allowed to continue. Any idea of democracy is incomplete if women are not allowed to participate in all the affairs of state. Hence the real meaning of democracy indicates that both men and women must have legitimate share in any are participation. Some feminist activists have endeavoured to associate feminism or equal rights for women concept with happiness.

It is observed that without the possession of equal rights by women there cannot be any happiness and comprehensive development of the inherent qualities that women possess. Guarantee of political rights is the only provider of security and through it women can have access to happiness.

Education is included into rights and the liberal feminists argue that it cannot be the exclusive province of men. Both men and women have the right to the facilities of education. Education enlightens mind and broadens the outlook. When that situation arrives the possession of rights by women will undoubtedly erode the male domination and expand the freedom of women.

Features of Liberal Feminism:

The core idea of liberal feminism is reformism. It does not deal with the thorough change of society through radical revolution. In numerous ways it has expressed its dissatisfaction against the prevailing system of distribution of rights and privileges.

It believes that if the present system of male domination distribution of right etc is reformed in favour of women then the latter will get full opportunity to develop their personality. Liberal feminism does not deny the natural distinction between men and women and it also admits that all sorts of activities cannot be properly performed by women.

This natural distinction must always be kept in mind. What it wants to assert is that the door to all sorts of rights and privileges shall be opened to all and it is the ability and proclivity of mind that will guide the persons.

The state authority shall not be the source of any artificial distinction. Liberal feminism also says that inclination of mind, outlook, preference etc. of men and women are different and this difference must be adhered to at any cost.

For example-women have special fascination for family affairs and this must not be disturbed. It believes that only through appeal, movement, persuasion and other peaceful ways the system of the society can be favourably changed. Militant ways are not necessary. The reformist attitude of liberal feminism is prominent in all respects. From this analysis it is obvious to us that liberal feminism is not willing radical change of the structure of society. Keeping the structure of society intact it wants improvement of women.

Socialist feminism is quite different from liberal feminism in the sense that while the latter states that the differences between women and men mainly relate to the male domination in all spheres of society and distribution of rights and privileges in favour of men the former is of opinion that relation between women and men is rooted in the social, cultural and economic structure of society. Socialist feminism has no faith in reformism.

A radical social revolution can remedy this deep-rooted evil which is planning the society. Hence we see that the concern of women has been viewed by two groups or schools in a completely different way. 'If the economic structure of society is not overhauled radically change in the material condition of women will remain a far cry.

At the beginning of the eighties of last century a United Nation report on the condition of women made the following observation. "While women represent 50 percent of the world population, they perform nearly two-thirds of all working hours-, receive one-tenth of world income and own less than 1 percent of world property". This glaring and disturbing difference between men and women is a clear indicator of how women are neglected and exploited in all countries of the world.

Socialist feminism wants to eliminate permanently the difference and in order to do that the entire economic as well as political structures are to be changed.

Central idea of Socialist Feminism:

Socialist thinkers, particularly Marx and Engels, have exposed the real character of exploitation of women in any capitalist society. Engels has stated several forms of exploitation. A capitalist society is based on private property and the system of private property is always patriarchal. Son is the owner of parents' property and daughter is thrown out of parental property system.

This is absolutely unjustified and unjust. Daughter's right and mother's place-both are overthrown. In this way the exploitation of women becomes the characteristic feature of any capitalistic society. There is a second form of exploitation of women in capitalism and it is the family system. Father is the head of the family and his direction is binding on all. There is no place of mother's voice or even if she gets any opportunity to raise her voice that is feeble.

In the third place, the chief function of women in family of a bourgeois society is to bear children and manage domestic affairs. Her main function is to do hard work for the satisfaction of men members of the family. Fourthly, women's cause and interests are neglected and a feeling of sacrifice and to serve others is always inculcated.

Finally, men have the right to satisfy their sexual appetite from extramarital sources which is denied to women. In fact, in a capitalist society, women are second class citizens and they have no place in the policy-making affairs. They cannot freely participate in the domain of politics. To sum up, in a capitalist society there is no proper recognition of women's merit and intelligence. Though it is exaggerated, there is some truth.

Suggestions of Socialist Feminists:

The picture of women's status in a capitalist society as depicted above is an ignoble one and it is admitted on all hands that ways to its annihilation must be found out.

(1) The entire capitalist society is based on hypocrisy and through continuous efforts that can be remedied. For this purpose women's education is essential.

(2) System of private property is to be abolished and if it is not possible the right of daughter to parents' property must be made a law.

(3) A new system is to be introduced in which the women must have an assertive voice and role and no decision shall be taken without their consent.

(4) The present traditional and patriarchal family system shall be replaced by communal living and family system which was suggested by Plato (427- 347 BC).

(5) Social, economic and political structure of the society should be so restructured as to enable the women to participate in all affairs of the state.

(6) Finally, the radical change in the society is to be effected through a revolution.

Such a revolution will destroy the economic and political system of society and in that place there will come a new society auguring a new life free from all sorts of exploitation. The role of the women will not be restricted to the performer of domestic works and motherhood. So we find that the socialist feminists have viewed the emancipation of women as the central place of feminism.

Exact Position of Marx and Engels:

A recent study has exhibited that though some general views can be formulated about the stand taken by Marx and Engels in regard to feminism both of them did not take special interest in it. "Considerable tension has existed between Marxist approach to feminism and political practice and Marx himself offers in his own writings little encouragement of feminism. Engels, on the other hand, adopted throughout his life a more auspicious attitude to feminism. Although Marxists have often regarded feminism as one of a number of "bourgeois deviations" from the revolutionary path, while feminists have often regarded Marxism as unwilling to give priority to gender equality".

It is a fact that Marx and Engels did not take special interest about feminism and it is perhaps due to the belief that they were primarily concerned with the general welfare of all sections of people. Hence women in particular did not draw their attention specifically.

It was their conviction that the abolition of capitalist form of society through a protracted class struggle would ultimately bring about a general emancipation, including women. From the study of history they came to learn that slavery of women was due to capitalist system and if this is abolished no special movement would be required to establish the rights of women.

Meaning and Definition:

The very term radical feminism implies that it is different from liberal and socialist feminism. Radical feminism focuses its attention on the fact that half the population comprises women and the patriarchal structure is that this half is controlled and guided by the other half consisting of men and until and unless this patriarchal structure is abolished there is not the remotest possibility of emancipation of women. "Radical feminists, therefore, proclaim the need for a sexual revolution, a revolution that will, in particular, restructure personal, domestic and family life."

The well known and characteristic slogan of radical feminism is thus the "personal is the political". What radical feminism asserts is that it is the oppression of women which is the sole cause of their all-round backwardness and without the abolition of this oppression development or favourable change of women's physical and psychological condition will remain a distant possibility.

Again, without revolution this change cannot be achieved. Any sporadic efforts and lackadaisical attitude are absolutely insufficient in bringing about general emancipation of women from the well-guarded clutches of patriarchal society. Piecemeal efforts are absolutely insufficient for the attainment of coveted goals-an emancipation of women. The entire society is to be restructured.

Central idea of Radical Feminism:

The basic difference between the liberal and socialist feminism lies in the fact that it has built up a systematic theory about women's progress and in doing this it has highlighted the oppression, cause of oppression, the methods to combat it, and all sorts of related issues and matters. In all societies both developed and underdeveloped women in numerous ways are oppressed. Men play the pioneering role in oppressing the women.

Men have forced the women to believe that academically and intellectually women are inferior to men and for that reason they are not considered quite fit for providing adequate leadership in society. This mentality has taken its deep roots in society and any attempt on the part of women to develop themselves is discouraged.

In this way the injustice and suppression have become the characteristic feature of society. The term injustice is a broad term and it has several meanings such as sexual exploitation, racial discrimination, class oppression. In India, women are not always the victims of class exploitation but also of caste exploitation. Women belonging to so-called lower caste are denied of certain legal rights. In many Western countries women are not at par with men in respect of political and economic rights.

The ways of exploiting women are well-calculated and sometimes these are supported by authority. Legal, political and economic structure of our society is so framed that it is very difficult for women to get justice. It is said that they are legally dispossessed. Maitrayee Mukhopadhyay says so in Legally Dispossessed.

There are a large number of exponents who have analysed the radical nature of feminism from their own angles. But on several points or junctions they meet together. One of the earliest radical feminists is Simone de Beauvoir (1906-1986). Beauvoir was a French novelist. Beauvoir's The Second Sex was published in 1949 and this book created tremendous impact upon the public mind.

According to Beauvoir the status and physical condition of women are determined not by natural differences between women and men but by the social and material conditions and forces and they are created by men and forcibly imposed upon women to satisfy the demands of patriarchy. Protracted efforts and radical revolution are the only ways to free women.

Kate Millett is an American author whose Sexual Politics was published in 1970. In this book she argued that in societies there are several forces and institutions which were created generations ago and have maintained their activity.

From the very childhood both boys and girls are in various ways indoctrinated in the line that girls are inferior to boys and this difference is due to physical differences bestowed upon them by nature. Both men and women, because of these natural differences, are not fit for all sorts of work. Millet believes that the chief source of women's oppression is patriarchy and this can be removed by annihilating patriarchy, But this task is quite an uphill one and a multipronged attack is necessary to emancipate women.

One such way is consciousness of women shall be raised so that they can fight against all types of oppression and exploitation. She also says that political authority is to be restructured so that it can fight against oppression. She observes that prevailing social, political and economic structure is not suitable for fight. Women's liberation thus requires a revolutionary change.

Firestone in her The Dialectic of Sex has issued feminism and the emancipation of women from different angle. She says that the biological differences between men and women cannot be obliterated all of a sudden. However, for the emancipation women, men are to come forward and this they can do by implementing the most modern and sophisticated techniques.

They can easily free them from child bearing and child-rearing. The use of contraceptives can stop pregnancy. Non-governmental organisations are to be formed which may take the charge of children. Both men and women can easily share the domestic affairs. Above all, modernisation and development are the most effective means of emancipation and without a radical social, economic and political change these can never be achieved. A revolution is thus the best way.

Women and Political Science:

"Women are Systematically Ignored":

On a different perspective it has been pointed out that the intellect and wisdom of women have not been duly recognised in political science. In recent years, women scholars began to study the different branches of political science and they were surprised to find that in this subject there are many paradigms and these do not make any due recognition of the importance of women and, as a result of it, in the entire system of analysis there are many gaps and distortions.

This created a lot of resentment in the minds of women scholars of the discipline. The male scholars of political science and its various branches have built up theoretical and conceptual frameworks without mentioning the contribution of women. The tangible consequence is all the paradigms and conceptual frameworks have remained incomplete. Sometimes these have deliberately distorted the importance of women's scholarship.

The women scholars, have questioned the veracity of various paradigms and conceptual frameworks. This approach of women scholars is quite natural because no discipline can claim its development complete without proper recognition of women scholars. Even if any discipline suffers from scarcity of women scholars attempts shall be made to arouse the interests of women.

Politics is a Masculine Product:

Only one aspect of male-dominated politics, that is theoretical, is highlighted. But there is a vast field of political science, which is a practical one. In ail industrialised developed countries of the world there are well-organised institutions and well-built administrative structure. In democracies all these do function well to satisfy the requirements of the authority and they do not leave any stone unturned to cater the interests of elite groups and ruling class.

But there is a dark corner behind this so- called well-illuminated and highly publicised picture. Let us see how a critic puts the matter "Historically, the actions of governments have been the actions of men, their politics-both foreign and domestic, have been made by men".

All aspects of domestic and foreign affairs are more or less dominated by men. Even policies are determined by men. Women's function and responsibility practically terminate at the point of exercising right to vote. This function we may call peripheral.

Because women are not fully and deeply involved in these functions such as policy-making and policy- implementation. The majority policy-makers of all the developed countries of the world are men. "Concepts such as justice, equality, citizen participation, democracy, political obligation, social contract theory were developed by men".

Gender-Bias in Early Politics:

In order to have a clear idea about the importance or role of women in politics/political science it is necessary that attention should be focused on ancient literature of politics. Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Politics have not paid due consideration to the contribution of women to the academic analysis of political science and other subjects.

In the constitution, management and administration of ideal state women's role is almost absent. The guardian class devotes the time and energy to the cause of ideal state and it is capable of doing this because this class is completely relieved of the day-to-day drudgery of earning livelihood and this is performed by slaves, women and workers.

Thus we see that the ideal state is built upon the wisdom of guardian class consisting of men only. But the common sense knowledge teaches us that the wealth, intellect and prosperity of the ideal state could not be built sans the hard labour of women. Aristotle made a compromise between private life and public life by subordinating the former to the latter.

Men will enjoy freedom and leisure so that they can pursue political and intellectual activities and women are the providers of leisure and freedom. Middle Ages could not produce any remarkable political scientist.

But, however, all sorts of political activities were dominated by men. In Middle Ages politics was controlled by religion and religion was controlled by men. In Machiavelli's The Prince we find the same thing. Women were subordinated to men. Rousseau and other thinkers did not make any concession for women.

A Change in Attitude is Necessary:

If we look at the history of Western political thought we shall come across two clear opposite trends. Firstly, political theory is by and large dominated by the thoughts and ideas expanded by male political scientists which may lead one to think that women have no contribution. The other trend is that there have been challenges to this notion. Political theory and political affairs cannot be the exclusive domains of male thinkers.

There are a very good number of political scientists of the women category. But the tragedy is that their contribution has failed to draw attention and proper recognition. Women are quite capable of thinking political theory in a befitting manner and they can also participate in political affairs.

For the proper recognition of women's contribution it is essential that males must change their attitude. Everywhere the common term "individual" is used. But individual includes both men and women and to reach this goal men must change their attitude. In today's democracy the unitary concept prevails. But a real democracy is of a federal character.

It is managed and flourished by both men and women. In a real democracy there is no place of sexual difference. The patriarchal character of modern society deliberately ignores the importance of women. This outlook must change out and out. There are physiological differences between man and woman which have nothing to do with the political theory.

There have been occurred some encouraging trends in recent years. They have taken place in large scale in industrialised societies of West and in a smaller scale in the developing societies of the Third World. One trend is qualified and able women are participating in administration which was previously a male domain.

It has been found that women have all 'the good qualities required for running and managing administration. Another trend is in almost all the spheres of public life women have entered into the keen competition with men. These two spectacular trends have enormously strengthened the position of women in the academic sphere. Even many male academicians have persuasively argued that women are at par with men in so far as their intellect is concerned.

All combinedly have encouraged women to come forward with their intellects and ideas and they have considerably enriched political thought. Women's participation in political affairs, in compared with earlier ages, has also increased.

This makes democracy participatory in its true sense. Many states of both West and East are making concessions to women so that they can compete with men in all spheres. In spite of all these the cause of the women is still a neglected domain and women are variously battered by the patriarchal structure of society.

In almost all the states of the Third World women are deprived of basic rights and privileges. Their role in policy-making and management is far below the expectation. Only a very few women win elections and happen to be law-makers. In academic fields the number of women is rising but here again the number is not up to the desirable limit.

In family and social affairs they are not at par with men. The rate of the progress of women in the developing nations is so slow that it can reasonably be called a frustration. Because of this, it is alleged, women's cause, ideas ad intellect are not duly reflected in the policies and decisions.

Even the academic outputs in different disciplines are not satisfactory at all. In family, in society, in politics and in the affairs of the state women are subject to exploitation. There must be an end to all kinds of exploitation.

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Feminism in Politics: Definition, Development and Types

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Feminism in Politics: Definition, Development and Types! Definition of Feminism: There are number of definitions of feminism and a very lucid one has been offered by the author of the article published in Oxford Concise Dictionary of Politics. "Feminism is a way of looking at the world which women occupy from the perspective of women.

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When people say, "I agree with the feminist movement, I just don't like the term feminist. Why can't we just say equals?" it can mean they're uncomfortable specifying that women are currently not being treated equally, or the term has a negative connotation they're scared to stand behind.

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A recent blog post on WatStory by Sloka Chatterjee addresses a question that people often have for feminists: Why do we say "feminist," not "equalist"? After all, if feminism should be for everybody, why does it include the syllable "fem"? If it's for equality, why does it allude to one gender and not any others?

The truth is, feminism does strive to include everyone, including men and non-binary people. It also attempts to help people of marginalized races, sexualities, and other identity categories.

But the word "feminism" doesn't contradict that. The feminist movement started in order to help women attain equality, and it reflects the fact that women have historically been disenfranchised and silenced, but feminism isn't trying to raise women and gender minorities up above men. I's trying to bring them up to the same level.

When people take issue with the word "feminism," they're usually really taking issue with the movement. As Chatterjee points out, self-described "equalists" and "egalitarians" often give some suspicious-sounding reasons for not identifying with feminism, like "'feminism' sounds pro-women and 'equalism' is, well... equal!" In cases like these, their focus on the word disguises the fact that they're uncomfortable with the idea of furthering women's rights or forgoing tradition - in other words, they're opposed to feminism itself.

Here are some reasons why feminists continue to identify with the term rather than backing down and using a different one.

1. "Feminist" Is Inclusive

As Sian Ferguson points out at Everyday Feminism, feminism isn't just about fighting the patriarchy anymore. It's evolved to combat the entire "kyriarchy" - a hierarchical system that places men above women and non-binary people, white people above those of other races, people above non-human animals, and more. The same way an establishment can be called a cafe and serve more than coffee, feminism is advocating for many groups at once.

2. Women And Non-Binary People Are Marginalized

Feminists are certainly not debating the claim that men face stereotypes. In fact, one recent effort of feminism has been to combat toxic masculinity - the standard by which men must be strong, tough, and emotionless. But if you examine gender stereotypes, you'll usually find that they have something in common: They put cis men above women and erase gender-nonconforming people, even if it's to men's detriment. For example, the idea that men should not show emotion is based on the idea that women are more emotional and therefore less rational.

If you look at history, it's pretty clear that men have been in power. Women couldn't even own their own credit cards 50 years ago, and they still can't access reproductive healthcare in many instances. The same way we say "black lives matter" instead of "all lives matter," we say "feminism" instead of "equalism" not because certain groups deserve more privileges but because they don't have them yet.

3. The Movement Has Been Called Feminism For Over A Century

The first recorded use of the word "feminism" was in 1852, and the early movement shares a lot with its current iteration. While that particular use was derogatory, a newspaper in 1914 described feminism as a term that "embodies women's rights," and it still does. To change the movement's name would be to rewrite history.

4. To Disavow Feminism Would Be To Back Down

If feminists were to say, "fine, we're equalists," we'd be giving in to people trying to redefine feminism negatively. Feminists know they have nothing to apologize for. As I mentioned, problems with the term are usually disguised problems with feminism itself. That's evident if you look at the "egalitarianism" subreddit or hashtag, which people use to deny the existence of misogyny and discredit women. The name of the movement isn't really so important, except insofar as changing it would be pretending there was something wrong with it in the first place - and there never was.

5. Because Frankly, It's Exhausting To Keep Having This Debate

Feminism will still be what it is regardless of what we call it. All this debate over semantics takes away from what feminism is trying to do, and so would the effort of rebranding the movement. So can we please just leave the word alone and focus on smashing the kyriarchy? Because that's what we've been here to do all along.
Images: Julie Jordan Scott; Charlotte Cooper(2); Wickeddollz/Flickr; Giphy(2)

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5 Reasons We Say "Feminist," Not "Equalist"

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A recent blog post on WatStory by Sloka Chatterjee addresses a question that people often have for feminists: Why do we say "feminist," not "equalist"? After all, if feminism should be for everybody, why does it include the syllable "fem"? If it's...

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"I must be if being a feminist means I’m all for women, yes. But I don’t feel I have to march, hold up a sign or label myself."

It's fascinating to hear that people can agree with feminism (EQUALITY FOR WOMEN), yet don't want the title due to the negative connotation.

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Dolly Parton has strong but polite words about the #MeToo movement and feminism in general - and she wants to make clear that her views are her own.

The country legend said she's experienced sexual harassment during her time in the limelight, but that her experiences likely aren't as bad as those other women may have had.
DOLLY PARTON SHARES SECRET TO HER 52-YEAR MARRIAGE
"I'm pretty sure [sexual harassment had] always been bad. It's just that with the #MeToo movement women are bolder to speak out against it," Parton, 73, told The Guardian in an interview released Sunday. "I have [dealt with it], but I have always been able to maneuver because I come from a family of six brothers, so I understand men and I've known more good men than bad men. It's a man's world, and it's not their fault any more than it is just life and ... we have allowed it to happen."
DOLLY PARTON AND JENNIFER ANISTON'S FUNNIEST MOMENTS
She added, "I think people now see that we're here, and women are very important, and they need us, just as we need the men. But if someone was getting real aggressive with me, I'd scream or throw something at them. But, of course, I've been hit on - I've probably hit on some people myself!"

The unapologetically feminine Parton said she relates to feminists - and even provided them a soundtrack and film in "9 to 5" - but the singer is hesitant to label herself as such because she never saw herself in that way.
DOLLY PARTON REVEALS HER CONNECTION TO REESE WITHERSPOON
"I don't think ... I mean, I must be if being a feminist means I'm all for women, yes. But I don't feel I have to march, hold up a sign or label myself," she explained. "I think the way I have conducted my life and my business and myself speaks for itself. I don't think of it as being feminist. It's not a label I have to put on myself. I'm just all for gals."

DOLLY PARTON: 'WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, DO A BOOB JOKE'
She also admitted that she was uncomfortable when Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda criticized President Donald Trump while onstage with Parton at the 2017 Emmy Awards.

"I don't like to be known by the company I keep, so to speak. I want to be my own individual self. If I've got something to say, I'll say it, but I don't want to be dragged into it," she said, adding she wasn't exactly surprised by the actresses' comments about the POTUS.
DOLLY PARTON: 'I DON'T DO POLITICS'
"I just did not want everybody to think that whatever they think is what I think," she said. "I don't really like getting up on TV and saying political things. I don't even want to make a deal out of it, but I want people to know I'm my own individual self. Even though [Fonda, Tomlin and I] may agree on a whole lot of things - and they may have more agreement [between] themselves because they've been together for longer - I still have my own thoughts and my own way of doing things. It's not a matter of being disrespectful, it's just, 'OK, that's what they said, I'm not getting involved in it.'"
DOLLY PARTON HONORED AT 2019 GRAMMYS
A big reason Parton doesn't get political is because she's a smart marketer, admitting that she doesn't want to alienate anyone in her enormous, diverse fanbase - and that attitude extends to her own friends.
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"I've got as many Republican friends as I've got Democrat friends and I just don't like voicing my opinion on things. I've seen things before, like the Dixie Chicks. You can ruin a career for speaking out," she said. "I respect my audience too much for that, I respect myself too much for that. Of course I have my own opinions, but that don't mean I got to throw them out there because you're going to piss off half the people."

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Dolly Parton talks sexual harassment, feminism and why she avoids politics

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Dolly Parton has strong but polite words about the #MeToo movement and feminism in general - and she wants to make clear that her views are her own. The country legend said she's experienced sexual harassment during her time in the limelight, but that her experiences likely aren't as bad as those other women may have had.

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The Viral Female Football Star Sam Gordon I Game Changer

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Take this quiz!

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Starr Carter lives a double life; at home, she lives in a poor neighborhood battling drugs and violence. At school, she is a member of a high class prep community that values her education and success in the world. When worlds collide and the violence directly impacts her life, she has to make a decision. Should she stand up for what she believes in, and what she saw? Or should she stay quiet and mind her own business, as everyone requests she does. Starr's internal crisis of how to handle this situation is tough, and seeing how strong she stays is important to note. Feminist don't let others tell them what to do, they fight hard and stay strong and follow their gut...just as Starr does in this novel.

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Women standing up for themselves, each other, and what they believe in. True feminists.

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Amina is a young girl who had to grow up quickly and flee a war-torn country. Telling the story of her family's struggles, she exemplifies her strength and perseverance to help her family as much as she can, and show quickly she had to grow up and be a strong woman. (Graphic Novel)

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Can men be feminist? Why do men struggle with the idea of feminism?

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Emma Watson Explains Why Some Men Have Trouble With Feminism | Entertainment Weekly

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Have you ever watched or heard of Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, or How to Get Away with Murder? If not, you're hiding under a rock. If so, you better thank Shonda Rhimes... a woman that has let her creativity flourish and has produced some of the best TV dramas there are. Can you say girl boss?

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Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist of the series, is a strong female character. She isn't afraid to fight, she says what's on her mind, and she stands up for what she believes in. She shows that women can be powerful, and Suzanne Collins' use of her character is a perfect example of feminism.

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A story explaining rape and sexual assault. Is it ever the victims fault? Can you be unconsciously asking for it?

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What being a feminist REALLY is. And isn't.

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A semi-autobiographical novel written by a woman highlighting her struggles and experiences with mental illness, and how she was not always taken seriously.

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A feminist presenting a TEDx talk about the myths of feminism and her journey being a feminist, and how she has stood up for it.

-a movement to liberate women-

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What’s Feminist About Equality? | Finn Mackay | TEDxCoventGardenWomen

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Hazel Grace is a 16 year old girl with cancer. Fighting for her life is exhausting and draining, until she meets Augustus. The flame ignites and the fire of their love begins, and Hazel's mindset in living life changes, "You put an object of death right between your lips, but you don't give it the power to kill you." Instead of letting her cancer bring her down, she lives life to the fullest and approaches death head on. Her ability to stay positive, explore new things, and stay strong for herself and those around her is a prime example of a young feminist.

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A time in history when large populations of people were brutally murdered, including young Jewish girls like Anne Frank. Her diary and the story with it has become a symbol for the Holocaust; a sign of temperance, perseverance, and making a life despite the brutality going on around you... something Anne Frank did while growing up in Nazi Germany.

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Milk and Honey / The Sun and Her Flowers

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Milk and Honey / The Sun and Her Flowers

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Rupi Kaur poetry has captured the love from teenage girls everywhere. The relatable content, short poems, and rise on social media has created a poetry hit. These poems revolve around self love, and not letting anything getting in the way. Whether it be relationship struggles, friendship drama, issues with family, or a lack of self confidence, Kaur writes poems to inspire girls to stay strong and put themselves first. Encouraging girls to love themselves and showing them that being sad and struggling is okay, but to know when to pick yourself up, is women empowerment. It is feminism.

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Songs to motivate, inspire, and show women how AMAZING they are!